‘Let food be thy medicine…’: lessons from low-protein diets from around the world

In this editorial we present the special issue dedicated to low-protein diets (LPDs) in chronic kidney disease, from a global perspective.

The experiences gathered from several countries across all continents have created an issue which we hope you will find insightful, and lead to further discussion on this interesting topic.

We discover that LPDs are feasible in both developed and low income countries, in patients where literacy is an issue, and are also safe, including during pregnancy and in old age.

Patients prescribed a low protein diet are more inclined to follow and adhere to this change in lifestyle, provided the diet has been adapted to meet their own individual needs. With an increasing list of different menu options and better medical advice being offered we no longer need to identify low protein diets with a specific menu, ingredient or supplement, or with a specific level of protein restriction. Evidence shows how the best diet is often the one chosen by the patients, which doesn’t drastically affect their day-to-day life, and delays the start of dialysis for as long as is safe under careful clinical control. The colourful menus gathered from all over the world remind us that a low protein diet does not necessarily mean that the pleasure of preparing a delicious meal is lost. The final comment is therefore dedicated to our patients: low protein diets can be beautiful.